There exists mounts for attaching optical sights to firearms, and particularly, rifles having a myriad of constructions to meet their respective objectives and requirements. The vast majority of these existing mounts are for modern rifles that are manufacture to include specific configurations permitting use of the mounts in attaching an optical sight to the rifle without undesirable modification to the rifle. Unlike modern rifles, antique rifles were manufactured before the advent of optical sights and therefore did not include the provisions that exist in modern rifles that permit the attachment of optical sights. Therefore, if one desires to mount an optical sight to an antique rifle the rifle must be modified to include provisions which permit the mounting. In most instances, it is undesirable to modify these rifles because a modified rifle has less value than an unmodified rifle. Additionally, some modifications may require altering the action of the rifle or may result in condition rendering the rifle unsafe to fire.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a sight mounting device for antique rifles and antique replica rifles which does not require undesirable modification to the rifle that devalues the rifle or renders the rifle unsafe to fire.